Sliced-potato separator.



No. 824,861. PATBNTED JULY 3, 1906.

H. HANSON.

SLIOED POTATO SEPARATOR. APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 2. 1905.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY HANSON, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO MARIE A. HANSON, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 3, 1906.

Application filed June 26,1905. Serial No. 266,962.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY HANSON, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of San Francisco, State of California, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Sliced-Potato Separators, of

which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an attachment for vegetable-cutters, and especially to a separator for useinconjimction with or as an integral part of a machine for slicing potatoes. In restaurants, hotels, and other places where machines are use for cutting Frenchfry potatoes it is often desired to cull out the imperfect strips or slices and use for frying only the slices of uniform diameter.

The object of my invention is to provide a cheap practical adjustable separator for this purpose.

The invention consists of the parts and the construction and combination of parts, as hereinafter more fully described and claimed, having reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of my device as connected to a slicer. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the separator. Fig. 8 is a section on line X X of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a section on line Y Y of Fig. 1. Figs. 5 and 6 are similar views showing-upper section moved down over lower section.

A represents a potato-slicer comprising a V-shaped trough, a follower 2, operating in the trough, and a series of intersecting knives 3, arranged in the path of the follower. The spaces between the knives may be of any desired shap es-trianmrlar or squareand they may be large or smaIl.

Potatoes run in all sizes; but usually only potatoes approximately a uniform size are operated on at one time. If a potato is placed in the slicer and the follower reciprocated to push it through the knives, it will be found that a number of small pieces of irregular and varying cross-section will surround a central sliced core composed of slices of uniform size. This result is illustrated in Fig. 4 in the drawings, the core showing within the double-lined square. It is this core portion that the better class of hotels and restaurants prefer for frying, the fringe of imperfect slices being used for other purposes.

I have here shown a means which may be attached to an ordinary table and used in conjunction with slicers already in use.

B represents a suitable frame having appropriate means, as screws 4, for attaching it to a table 5 or other suitable support and in proper relation to the knives of the slicer, which latter is also assumed to be mounted on the support 5. Obviously the frame B could be made an integral part of the slicer. The portion of the frame which seats on the table is slotted transversely at 6" for the screws 4, so that a slight adjustment of the frame sidewise is possible.

The portion of the apparatus in which the slices of potatoes are received comprises an adjustable, eXpansible, and contractible tubular structure. (Here shown as made in two parts or sections 7 8.) The section 7 comprises a V-shaped right-angled trough mounted on the adjusting screws 9 and adapted to be raised and lowered by properly manipulating the set-nuts 10 to bring the end of the trough into register with certain of the contiguous knives 3. The section 8 is in the form in cross-section of an incomplete square, having one angle and part of two sides omitted equivalent to the troughsection 7. The section 7 is the complement of section 8, and when the sides of section 7 are in continuation of the lower partial walls 8 of section 8 a tube which is square in section and which will correspond, say, to sixteen square spaces of knives 3, will be formed. The section 8 is provided with two longitudinal ledges or flanges 11 on its interior arranged parallel with the walls 8. The lower edges of the flanges 11 are separated from each other a space about equal, but not less, than the width of the trough part 7. If the space between the flanges 11 is closed by bringing the part 7 so that its walls are in continuation with the flanges ll, a second and smaller tubular space square in section will be formed, and this square will correspond, say, to nine knife-space squares. By moving the trough part 7 farther up into the art 8 or moving section 8 down over section 7 till the sliding trough contacts with the upper walls of part 8 a still smaller tubular space will be inclosed, and this space will be square in section, and the square will correspond, say, to four knife-space squares. Consequently, it is seen by making the parts 7 8 relatively adjustable I am able to provide an expansible and contractible separator suitable for all sizes of potatoes or other vegetables which it may be desired to sl ce. The adjustment of the top section 8 relative to section 7 is done by means of the screws 12, threaded at 13 into the top of frame B and having a swivel connection 14 with section 8. The screws are turned by means of the heads 15. Section 8 has the lateral projections 15, which slide on suitable guides 15 on frame B and serve to maintain the section 8 always in suitable relation to the trou h-section 7 and prevent lateral and longitu inal disarrangement. The edges of the sections 7 and 8 proximate to the knives are preferably made knife-edged, so as to offer but little resistance to the slices as they come through the knives.

In operation frame B is clamped to the table in line with the slicer and with the tubeforming sections 7 8 close up to the knives 8. The section 7 is adjusted till it is in register with the two lowest intersecting tiers of knives and represented by the referencenumbers 3 3. The knife-spaces lying outside of these knives 3 3 receive only the imperfect slices. This adjustment of the trough-section 7 is aided possibly by adjusting the frame B laterally and then clamping it tight to the table by the screws 4. By using two adjusting-screws 12 it is possible to lift the outer end of section 8 slightly, so that the tubular space inclosed by the sections is a trifle flared away from the knives and to prevent any binding or mashing of the sliced material in the tube. If large potatoes are to be sliced, the section 8 is lifted till the walls 8 are in continuation with the walls of section 7. If medium-sized potatoes are to be sliced, the section 8 is adjusted till the flanges 11 stand in continuation with the walls of the trough-sectioh 7, while if the potatoes are small the section 8 may be dropped till the trough-section is inside of flanges 11 and in contact with the upper walls of section 8. The resulting core, which is carried through the tube formed by the sections 7 8, in any case will consist of slices perfectly uni form as to size in cross-section. These will be delivered from the other end of the separator, while the imperfect slices and trimmings will fall down through a hole 16 in the table and be separately collected.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with a slicing apparatus having a series of intersecting knives, of a means comprising a tubular structure contiguous to the knives and receiving the material issuing therethrough, said tubular structure including adjustable sections to permit the expansion and contraction of the tube, and means for adjusting said sections.

2. The combination in a slicing apparatus of an attachment therefor comprising a frame, an expansible and contractible tube and means for effecting the expansion and contraction of said tube.

3. In a slicing apparatus, the combination with complementary slicing means, of means for receiving the severed sllces said receiving means including a pair of members capable of contraction and expansion in planes substantially at right angles to the feed of the material to be sliced.

4. In a device of the character described the combination with a supply-hopper, follower means operable therein, a slicing device, and a suitable support, of a tubular structure composed of longitudinal sections adjustable to and from each other, and means for effecting the adjustment of said sections.

5. In an apparatus of the character de scribed comprising a supply-hopper, followermeans operable therein, a slicing member opposing the follower, a trough-section, an adjustable support for said section, a complementary section overhanging said troughsection and an adjustable support for said overhanging section.

6. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of two suitablysupported longitudinal tube-sections cooperating with each other to inclose a tubular space and means by which one of said sections may be moved toward or from the other section to vary the size of said tubular space.

7. The combination with a slicing apparatus having a series of intersecting knives, of expansible and contractible means, acting in conjunction with said knives, to receive a limited amount of produce issuing through the knives.

8. The combination with a slicing apparatus having a hopper, follower means operable therein and a series of intersecting knives, of a slice-receiver comprising a frame, a trough-section adjustably mounted on said frame a complementary section cooperating with the trough-section to inclose a tubular space, and means for varying the size of said tubular space consistently with the interspaces of said intersecting knives.

9. In an apparatus of the character described comprising a hopper, follower means operable therein, a slicer opposing the fol lower, a frame, a trough-section, a comples mentary section movable to and from the trough-section and having an angle and part of two sides omitted corresponding to the trough-sections, inturned flanges on the inside of said complementary section and cooperating with the trough-sections to inclose a tubular space and means for effecting the movement of said complementary section.

10. In an apparatus of the character described comprising a hopper, follower means operable therein, a slicer opposing the follower, a frame, a trough-section, a comple- ITO mentary section movable to and from the trough-section and having an angle andpart of two sides omitted corresponding to the trough-sections and inturned flanges on the inside of said complementary section and cooperating with the trough-sections to inclose a tubularvspace and means for effecting the movement of said complementary section, and lateral projections on the complementary section engaging guides on the frame.

11. In an apparatus of the character described the combination with a hopper, follower means operatable therein, and a slicing means opposing the follower, of a frame, a trough-section carried thereby, means for adjusting the ends of said trough-section, a complementary section cooperating with said trough-section to inclose a tubular space, and means for independently adjusting the ends of the complementary section relative to the trough-section.

12. In an apparatus of the character described the combination with a hopper, follower means operatable therein, and a slicing means opposing the follower, of a frame, a trough-section carried thereby, means for adjusting the ends of said trough-section, a complementary section cooperating with said trough-section to inclose a tubular space, means for independently adjusting the ends of the complementary section relative to the trough-section and means on said complementary section engaging suitable guides on the frame to hold said section against lateral and longitudinal disarrangement.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

HARRY HANSON. Witnesses S. H. NOURSE. D. B. RICHARDS 

